Just wanna hear from other people. So, is light matter or just some weird particle?! =)
2007-06-17 23:07:04 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Light is energy and normally energy is not matter and matter is not energy, but Einstein's energy-mass equivalence formula E = m.c^2 changed all those classical views. Thus matter and energy are under the right cicrcumstances inter-convertible. In nuclear reactions (fission and fusion), mass is converted into energy. And high energy radiation such as gamma rays spontaneously convert themselves into two particles an electron and an antielectron (positron).
Light behaves as particles in some situations and as waves most of the time. Light particles are called photons.
And yes, light exerts pressure on matter just as a breeze would.
2007-06-17 23:17:05 · answer #1 · answered by Swamy 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is a tough question. We are taught that energy and matter are different forms of the same thing. If an electron and a positron collide they vanish and become a gamma ray and a gamma ray has been observed reverting back into being an electron and a positron, particles that have mass. Based on this I would have to say that light does have mass.
2007-06-21 12:56:49 · answer #2 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a matter of fact, light does indeed matter. Humans need sunlight to live.
There's your answer.
I guess what you're looking for is - light actually has a dual nature. It exists as either particles, or waves - whichever you want it to be. It's very complicated. If it exists as particles, then it's matter - special particles - 'weird', if you like - that are called photons, little packets of energy that are light. But if you take light as waves, then it's simply energy - and for that you have to consult Mr Einstein, for whom energy and mass are equivalent - meaning to say, that energy has mass and mass has energy.
2007-06-18 06:24:58 · answer #3 · answered by Vineda 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no, light is not a matter. Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. From that definition, would u say that a piece of light in a certain place weighs, for an instance, 1g or 1 lb?
2007-06-20 07:58:53 · answer #4 · answered by nEEdblAblA 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Light particles are called photons, and it is matter.
2007-06-18 06:17:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, light is not normally considered matter, as it has no rest mass. (If it did, we'd call it "heavy" instead of "light".)
2007-06-18 06:10:37 · answer #6 · answered by supastremph 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it has double nature, corpuscular and electromagnetic...if I have good memory
2007-06-18 06:17:28 · answer #7 · answered by Srbo Sutaric 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋